The junction of Catenanuova, on the Catania - Palermo motorway, leads, after about 15
kilometers, to one of the oldest and once most powerful towns in central Sicily:
Centuripe. A visit to the town and its archeological site is not to be missed by
those in search of past splendors. The large burial rooms demonstrate the
presence of populations which had already settled in Centuripe in the 8th
century BC.
But the town appears in all its splendor in the Hellenistic period:
the findings dating back to this period show that Centuripe was perfectly
integrated into that world. The more impressive monumental remains, however,
date back to Roman times: important public buildings and marble statues
including those of large dimensions give an idea of the amount of power and
hegemony which Centuripe had attained under the Empire of the Caesars.
An important archaeological factor, because it ensured the preservation of the
entire heritage, was the complete destruction of the town, between 1267 and
1270, and the successive reconstruction made about three centuries later. This
glorious past can be entirely relived by going through the streets of Centuripe,
where it is not unusual to notice columns or other remains from the past.
The most interesting of the material uncovered during archaeological digs, is kept
in the town museum. Finally, the remains of the Corradino castle, built on a
Roman construction from the imperial age and another castle, the Borgo Carcaci,
on the outskirts of the town along the road that leads to Troina are also worth
a visit. Centuripe is also well known for its "copies" of earthenware and
Hellenistic handmade articles. In the past, several "fake" objects were mistaken
for original ones even by famous European museums.
Courtesy of Enna Official Tourist Board APIT Enna
